The absurdist comedy playing out in the White House this week took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when the White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was forced to admit that she cannot “guarantee” that the American people will not someday hear a recording of President Trump saying the n-word.

.@kwelkernbc: "Can you stand at the podium and guarantee the American people they'll never hear Donald Trump utter 'the n word' on a recording, in any context?"

The only excuse Huckabee Sanders could give to NBC News’ Kristen Welker was laughably weak. “I’ve never heard him use that term or anything similar…I haven’t been in every single room.”

Former White House staffer and Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault set off a firestorm of controversy this morning when she released a bombshell recording in which Trump officials discussed how they would spin the discovery of tapes that contain the President using racial slurs.

Though the President and NBC producer Mark Brunett publicly denied the existence of the tapes, former Apprentice contestant Penn Jillette revealed to Vulturemagazine that the tapes definitely exist — and he knows they are because he was in the room when Trump made “racially uncomfortable” remarks.

Even after a year in office, it is still incredible to hear the Press Secretary of the White House being forced to deny the existence of a tape of the President saying racial slurs. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so deeply depressing.